My wife and I went to the game yesterday ... and you could sense the collective frustration in the stadium starting to build as soon as Miller's TD catch was called back. I knew right away it was going to be one of those maddening games where we just couldn't get anything to go our way. Thankfully, our defense played well and kept it close and we got some RW magic in the end. And I was really bummed they didn't let Russell try to throw for a TD to break Manning's record - why not let him try for it??

I have three big concerns heading into Washington:

1. PASS RUSH. Credit to the Rams for doing a great job protecting yesterday, but the lack of pressure -- at home -- was unbelievable yesterday. This spells certain doom for us in the playoffs facing the likes of RGIII, Matt Ryan, etc. My only hope is they are saving some blitz looks for the post-season. As many have pointed out, we are suffering when we have Bryant and Branch in at the same time. I understand they want to limit the big plays, but the pass rush outside of Green Bay in the 1st half this season has not been good. If we can't make a QB uncomfortable in the pocket in our house with our home crowd advantage, how are we going to do it in enemy environments? We need to seriously refocus/upgrade our pass rush approach.

2. STOPPING MORRIS. RGIII gets all the press, but the guy I'm way more scared of is Morris. Our run defense has been kind of spotty, and I hope they expend a lot of energy preparing for Morris - he is a great back.

3. SIDNEY RICE's HEALTH. How hurt is Sidney? He has disappeared from the offense - only one target yesterday. I know he has been slowed with foot and knee issues - are they just taking it easy on him? We need him to be a stud.

I'm also concerned with the pass protection as well, especially with as much as Washington likes to blitz - but I think we can take advantage of it if they bring the heat.

Anyways, I expected a tough game - the Rams are a good team and with some upgrades on offense, they are going to be in the thick of it with us and the 49ers for the foreseeable future. The Rams have 2 first-round picks in 2013 and 2014 as part of the windfall they acquired from the Skins, so Seahawks fans better put the lid on the "Rams suck" thoughts as those days are gone.

FlyingGreg wrote:And I was really bummed they didn't let Russell try to throw for a TD to break Manning's record - why not let him try for it??

I believe he was quoted as saying it was a pass play and he wanted to try and throw it, but realized the pass wasn't there and decided to run it in instead.

That was the play he scored on, right? What about the 1st down run w/ Marshawn that was initially called a TD and reversed? They were on the 4-yard line after that long run by Wilson - just thought they should have let him throw it a few times.

First of all, the Rams have made us shoot ourselves in the foot because they might have the most physically talented DL in the NFL. It's a matchup problem for us, it continually causes us to commit penalties, and it bogs the offense down. Why ? Because most of our OL is average to above average. The only 2 players that are good are Okung and Unger, and they are both Pro Bowlers. Giacomini ? Average. he's a mauler in the run game, but below average in pass pro and commits a lot of dumb penalties. Sweezy ? Average at best....he'll get better, but he's a rookie that is playing the position for the 1st time. I'd be surprised if he grades out better than average. McQuistan ? Average. Moffit ? Average. Carpenter ? Looks good in flashes when he can stay on the field. He doesn't block well from the sidelines. It's why I've been an advocate of drafting a higher round Guard, again.

Washington doesn't really scare me. A month ago, they scared me. RGIII is still bothered by that knee. If our defense gets a hold of him, we'll knock him out. We can get a way with playing the read option off the RB, since Morris is a stud. I don't see RGII looking to run first a lot, and if he does, he's stupid since our D will beat him up. The kid just hasn't learned to slide yet.

THe Redskins run the most 2 WR sets in the NFL. It's a simplification of the offense. You have: Run option 1. Run option 2. Pass option 1. Pass option 2. Never more than 3 options in one play. RGIII has better overall stats than Wilson, but he's being asked to do far less. It's the argument that Luck should be OROY.....he's been asked to do everything. Sure his stats suffered, but he did better overall with less than RGIII or Wilson would've, or at least that's the theory. But Luck has had to do more. Personally, I think Wilson was ready earlier, but can't blame the FO for being cautious with him.

The Skins are also vulnerable on the back end. Their safety play isn't very good, and can be exposed easily. If we can establish even an average run game, our play action is going to kill them. The other thing is they get even less pressure on the QB than we do. WIlson with time will scary.

Romo and Brady played well against the lack of pass rush because their magicians within their pocket, and have extremely quick releases. RG3's mobile, but not quite up to that level in the pocket yet. Contain the edges, stay disciplined, and it should be the perfect remedy to RG3. Cam and Kap struggled for a reason.

You know what scares me more than our O-line woes? Darrell Bevell taking 2/3rds of the game to recognize that we need to change what we're doing on offense. We kept bashing our heads against the wall that is the Rams D-line over, and over, and over, and over...A smart OC would have changed after the first 15-20 game minutes. We could have been far more successful with more read options earlier and quick slants passing.

I share all of your concerns, especially over the pass rush and pass protection. I'm hoping, like you, that they've been scaling it back in an effort to not tip their hand before the playoffs, but I'm not 100% sold on how realistic that is. I guess we'll see on Sunday...

Pass protection was also a mess yesterday. It seems that when Sweezy is in the game, overload blitzes are extremely effective against us. If Sweezy's staying in the lineup, he's going to need to be more efficient in Washington.

I think they've been taking it easy on Sidney. He's taken some big hits this year and has had some knicks along the way. I think they see how important he is to this team's production, so they've just wanted to make sure he makes it to the playoffs as healthy as possible.

I share your concerns with limiting Alfred Morris as well. However, I look forward to the challenge and there would be nothing better than absolutely stuffing the Skins vaunted running game on their home turf, forcing Robert Griffin III to try and beat us singlehandedly on a gimpy leg.

RolandDeschain wrote:You know what scares me more than our O-line woes? Darrell Bevell taking 2/3rds of the game to recognize that we need to change what we're doing on offense. We kept bashing our heads against the wall that is the Rams D-line over, and over, and over, and over...A smart OC would have changed after the first 15-20 game minutes. We could have been far more successful with more read options earlier and quick slants passing.

Dude, c'mon, that's a BEASTLY defensive line. Arguably the best the Hawks have faced this season.

I know, Pehawk. I give them all the credit in the world. It's very OBVIOUS we needed to start getting rid of the ball almost immediately because of that, is my point; and we didn't. For a long time. We kept calling regular passing plays, expecting our friggin' O-line to start magically doing well against a fantastic D-line in pass protection. It was asinine.

RolandDeschain wrote:I know, Pehawk. I give them all the credit in the world. It's very OBVIOUS we needed to start getting rid of the ball almost immediately because of that, is my point; and we didn't. For a long time. We kept calling regular passing plays, expecting our friggin' O-line to start magically doing well against a fantastic D-line in pass protection. It was asinine.

RolandDeschain wrote:I know, Pehawk. I give them all the credit in the world. It's very OBVIOUS we needed to start getting rid of the ball almost immediately because of that, is my point; and we didn't. For a long time. We kept calling regular passing plays, expecting our friggin' O-line to start magically doing well against a fantastic D-line in pass protection. It was asinine.

Maybe this was on the ALL WORLD Russell Wilson for not recognizing the defense and getting us into successful plays?

pehawk wrote:Actually, not having a passrush HELPS against the Redskins, IMO.

Romo and Brady played well against the lack of pass rush because their magicians within their pocket, and have extremely quick releases. RG3's mobile, but not quite up to that level in the pocket yet. Contain the edges, stay disciplined, and it should be the perfect remedy to RG3. Cam and Kap struggled for a reason.

That's a good point, pe.

The Hawks D has played extremely well against the Pistol/Zone-Read so far this season. Factor in the fact that they practice and play with one of the most efficient Zone-Read offenses in the game and that's more of a reason why the Hawks D is well suited to play against Washington.

I still wouldn't mind a few early blitzes from Kam and KJ to try and rattle him so he never truly feels comfortable in the pocket. A few early big hits/turnovers could go a long way in making RGIII have a long day. Remember the Carolina game? Clem got called for a roughing the passer early on in the game and absolutely smashed Cam well after the whistle. He claims he had his head down and didn't know that the ball was released. The replays support that. Either way, the point is that from that point on Cam never really got comfortable in the pocket, despite the Hawks having an average day with the pass rush.

Like pehawk says, the same approach to RGIII could negate the lack of a pass rush.

RolandDeschain wrote:I know, Pehawk. I give them all the credit in the world. It's very OBVIOUS we needed to start getting rid of the ball almost immediately because of that, is my point; and we didn't. For a long time. We kept calling regular passing plays, expecting our friggin' O-line to start magically doing well against a fantastic D-line in pass protection. It was asinine.

Same concerns I have had since game 1. Got to, got to, got to curtail all the penalties. We had three touchdowns taken away yesterday (not all penalties granted) and a whole lot of yards due to penalties. IIRC we had two very long passing plays turned into negative yardage yesterday. The only team that can beat the Seahawks right now are the Seahawks themselves. Take care of that and we make history!

pehawk wrote:Actually, not having a passrush HELPS against the Redskins, IMO.

Romo and Brady played well against the lack of pass rush because their magicians within their pocket, and have extremely quick releases. RG3's mobile, but not quite up to that level in the pocket yet. Contain the edges, stay disciplined, and it should be the perfect remedy to RG3. Cam and Kap struggled for a reason.

Kind of what the Lambs did to Wilson.

Talent can get you to the playoffs.It takes character to win when you get there.SUPER BOWL XLVIII CHAMPIONS

pehawk wrote:Actually, not having a passrush HELPS against the Redskins, IMO.

Romo and Brady played well against the lack of pass rush because their magicians within their pocket, and have extremely quick releases. RG3's mobile, but not quite up to that level in the pocket yet. Contain the edges, stay disciplined, and it should be the perfect remedy to RG3. Cam and Kap struggled for a reason.

Kind of what the Lambs did to Wilson.

Well, those Ram rascals can have it both ways, like Abs sexuality. They're so talented, they can pressure the QB AND contain.

Scanner posted a stat where the Rams are tops in stopping runners at or behind line, but after that, they get gouged. Add a LB and safety or two, and ouch to the NFC West.

The Bad - We were exposed a bit yesterday. As said by another here, I too agree that faster adjustment needs to be made as we enter the playoffs (coaching, QB).

May not believe this but the Oline impressed me with how they dealt with a tough STL D after a 150% given SF game week prior.

RW didn't have his best game. Accuracy issues, lots of low (and high) throws, not leading the receivers as well as we know he can. Thank god for large hands when it came to the containment and sacks by STL. Final keeper TD was great though.

Lynch is still a god, dealing with a tough defense and helping setup our passing game best he could.

The Good -

We won in the end, time to deal with playoff level games now.We are still somewhat pretty healthy for this time of year, and that's great.We have a shot at the big dance.12th man was in effect once again.

RolandDeschain wrote:I know, Pehawk. I give them all the credit in the world. It's very OBVIOUS we needed to start getting rid of the ball almost immediately because of that, is my point; and we didn't. For a long time. We kept calling regular passing plays, expecting our friggin' O-line to start magically doing well against a fantastic D-line in pass protection. It was asinine.

Maybe this was on the ALL WORLD Russell Wilson for not recognizing the defense and getting us into successful plays?

Why does it always have to be on the coaches?

When did we start letting Wilson audible out of any play at will? Read option's one thing, freedom to change whatever/whenever is something else entirely. Also, a lot of the pressure was brought simply by their front four, it's not like Wilson was failing to recognize blitzes all day. That D-line is one scary beast.

@Pe: I think it's gonna take me a few more years to get over hating draw plays based on how badly Holmgren ruined them for me, lol.

RolandDeschain wrote:I know, Pehawk. I give them all the credit in the world. It's very OBVIOUS we needed to start getting rid of the ball almost immediately because of that, is my point; and we didn't. For a long time. We kept calling regular passing plays, expecting our friggin' O-line to start magically doing well against a fantastic D-line in pass protection. It was asinine.

Maybe this was on the ALL WORLD Russell Wilson for not recognizing the defense and getting us into successful plays?

Why does it always have to be on the coaches?

When did we start letting Wilson audible out of any play at will? Read option's one thing, freedom to change whatever/whenever is something else entirely. Also, a lot of the pressure was brought simply by their front four, it's not like Wilson was failing to recognize blitzes all day. That D-line is one scary beast.

@Pe: I think it's gonna take me a few more years to get over hating draw plays based on how badly Holmgren ruined them for me, lol.

When did we not? Has Pete told you that Wilson is not allowed to switch plays at the line?

Wilson, imo, is the guy that this is on. He needs to know the pressure is coming and get rid of the ball.

Well, I'm kind of glad they had their wake up call this week, so they are reminded that not every game is going to have them leading at the half by double digits. They've been reminded of how to play from behind again.

Off to the playoffs with a tough, well-earned victory over a pretty good Rams team.

Talent can get you to the playoffs.It takes character to win when you get there.SUPER BOWL XLVIII CHAMPIONS

Wilson deserves some bad credit for some of the sacks he took. At least two weren't really his fault, as they were basically unabated to the QB, but I'm not keeping Wilson up on some holier-than-thou pedestal. However, first-year QBs just don't get free reign to do whatever they want on the field. I don't know what he is and is not allowed to do, but I'd be surprised if they let him do whatever he wants. Anybody else with more insight on this?

He likely has to go with what the play call is, most of the time. It sounds like you wanted him to essentially start ignoring play calls from Bevell, (which frankly, in the 2nd quarter, I'd have been fine with) and just doing what he wants? Not likely to happen. It took us way, way, way too long to adjust to that monstrous D-line of the Rams, and if we take that long to adjust in the playoffs, we're getting bounced out in the first or second round. I don't want to see that happen.

FlyingGreg wrote:STOPPING MORRIS. RGIII gets all the press, but the guy I'm way more scared of is Morris. Our run defense has been kind of spotty, and I hope they expend a lot of energy preparing for Morris - he is a great back. Anyways, I expected a tough game - the Rams are a good team and with some upgrades on offense, they are going to be in the thick of it with us and the 49ers for the foreseeable future. The Rams have 2 first-round picks in 2013 and 2014 as part of the windfall they acquired from the Skins, so Seahawks fans better put the lid on the "Rams suck" thoughts as those days are gone.

They do have have a good two prong running Offense, but so do the Seahawks, AND in fact, we also have M Robinson, so they will have a choice of poisons to pick as well.

As far as yesterdays game...With not a lot to play hard for, we saw mostly vanilla from the Seahawks yesterday.I truly believe that they just wanted a win for the home crowd.

The reality is, if we're going to the Super Bowl, it's going to be on the back of the offense, not the defense as most of us would have predicted earlier in the year.

But we're still the #1 scoring defense in the NFL. Bend, but don't break is fine by me. The defense just has to put the offense in position to win now. (If they don't score, which has become a fairly common occurrence in the past weeks.)

Isn't it interesting that as soon as Bevell started calling designed roll-outs to offset the Lambs pressure, the passing game got much better? I don't know if RW has the freedom to change plays though I suspect he as yet does not (next year IMO). Regardless, I'm with Roland on this one in that I felt yesterday and still feel today that enough wasn't done in the first half to combat the pressure.

As for the defense, I believe it was purposely vanilla yesterday. I was unhappy during the game that there wasn't any blitzing but when they were getting close to tying the game, all of a sudden Seattle blitzed several plays in a row including one from ET that was a thing of beauty. Looked to me like Pete/Gus decided to unleash some blitzing to get the "W" while before that trying to stay as vanilla as possible in order to keep as much off film as they could knowing the playoffs were next on the agenda.